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Creator
Law, William, 1686-1761
Call number
MssCol 1698
Physical description
.6 linear feet (2 boxes)
Language
Materials in English
Preferred Citation

William Law papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Location
Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library,
Access to materials
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Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online.

William Law, Jr. was a merchant of New York City and Connecticut. Papers consist of correspondence and financial accounts, 1807-1817, generated while Law acted as agent and supercargo for the merchant firm of Minturn & Champlin of New York City. Bulk of the papers consists of letters, accounts, and notebooks relating to the cargo and voyage of the ship Lion from New York to Canton, China, December 1815 to June 1816, and its return, December 1816 to April 1817. Included is Law's correspondence with Minturn & Champlin and the ship's owner, Thomas C. Butler; list of the crew; extracts from the ship's log; and notebooks, manifests, account books, sales receipts, and invoices recording goods shipped to and purchased in China, such as tea, textiles, chinaware, opium, and furs. Other papers include Law's accounts with Minturn & Champlin, 1807-1814; claims against Denmark for the ships Resolution, Nimrod, and Swift which were captured by privateers, 1810-1811; affadavits relating to a mutiny aboard the Lion, 1816; and some correspondence and accounts regarding the sale of the Lion's cargo in New York City.

Biographical/historical information

William Law, Jr. was a merchant of New York City and Connecticut. He spent several years, 1798-1800, as a lawyer and land agent in the Western Reserve looking after the land interests of his father, William Law of Cheshire, Connecticut. After his return east he worked as an agent and supercargo for the New York City merchant firm of Minturn & Champlin, 1804-1817.

Scope and arrangement

The William Law, Jr. Papers consist of correspondence and financial accounts, 1807-1817, generated while Law acted as agent and supercargo for the merchant firm of Minturn & Champlin of New York City. The bulk of the papers consist of letters, accounts, and notebooks relating to the cargo and voyage of the ship LION from New York to Canton, China, December 1815-June 1816 and its return, December 1816-April 1817. Included are Law's correspondence with Minturn & Champlin and the ship's owner, Thomas C. Butler; a list of the crew; extracts from the ship's log; and notebooks, manifests, account books, sales receipts, and invoices recording goods shipped to and purchased in China, including tea, textiles, china ware, opium, and furs. Other papers include Law's accounts with Minturn & Champlin, 1807-1814; claims against Denmark for the ships RESOLUTION, NIMROD, and SWIFT which were captured by privateers, 1810-1811; affadavits relating to a mutiny on the LION, 1816; and some correspondence and accounts regarding the sale of the LION's cargo in New York City.

Arrangement

Two series: I. Correspondence and Papers Regarding the Voyage of the Ship Lion, 1815-1818; II. Other Correspondence and Papers, 1800-1818

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

December 23, 1908, Gift from Dr. William Law of Cheshire, Conn.

Processing information

Accessioned by Melanie Yolles, April 1986/October 1988

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328